2013 Preview: Transportation: What to expect on the roads and at the pump

Gas price forecast

The "fiscal cliff," potential weather catastrophes, and the overall health of the economy will all play into gasoline prices in 2013.

But 2013’s prices should look a lot like 2012, said Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com.

That means a national average yearly price between $3.50 and $3.75 for regular-grade gas, similar to 2012’s $3.63 price average.

Kansas prices run a little lower than the national average, so expect per-gallon prices to be about 15 cents cheaper in the Sunflower State.

Dehaan said to expect the typical seasonal price fluctuations, with prices spiking in the late spring and again in late summer.

In 2012, for example, Kansas gas prices spiked in April, hovering around $3.75 per gallon. Prices dipped over the summer, but shot up again in September, just over $3.80 a gallon.

Average prices are currently at a yearly low in the state, at around $3.05 a gallon for regular.

Several area road repair projects will affect local drivers in 2013.

A $6.5 million road repair project on Iowa Street could snarl local traffic, with city commissioners agreeing recently to shut down a portion of Bob Billings Parkway/15th Street from May 20 to Aug. 16.

But Baldwin City and Ottawa commuters could see the most road construction in 2013, with numerous bridge repairs on U.S. Highway 56 slated to begin in the new year.

Here’s a rundown of major projects in Lawrence and Douglas County and their anticipated start dates in 2013:

Lawrence

• Work on the South Lawrence Trafficway is to begin in October, but major work on the project connecting Interstate 70 with Kansas Highway 10 will start in 2014. The project is expected to be completed by late 2015.